Youth Folk Camp 2024
Join us for Youth Folk Camp – our only Alabama Folk School workshop series designed for rising 5th-12th graders. YFC is a unique combination of summer overnight camp and folk school instruction in music, farming, craft skills, and more! Campers choose one major and minor class for the workshop, all taught by experienced farmers, musicians, and artists. Some experience with violin, guitar, or banjo is recommended for music majors. Campers who choose farming for their major should select a different subject for their minor.
Ages: rising 5th - 12th graders
Cost: $400 (need based scholarships are available)
Farming Major
Campers who major in farming are able to make connections about the foods we eat and how it comes to our plates. Sustainable agriculture, team-work, and hands-on caring for our gardens and farm animals are some of the experiences students take with them. Whether it be milking a goat or harvesting a carrot, students create connections and a deeper understanding of their involvement in food systems. This is an eye-opening experience that will impact the campers for their entire lives. McDowell Farm School Staff work with teachers and students from around Alabama each school year bringing enthusiasm and a deep wealth of knowledge to Youth Folk Camp. Farming majors should select another practice for their minor. This allows campers to have a break from the heat and hard work of an Alabama summer.
Mixed Media Art Major
Come have fun making art ! We'll be working with various mediums including collage, clay, sewing textiles, printmaking, painting, and more. Our approach to creativity is low pressure and lots of fun. We hope that you’ll leave with some lovely works of art, some new tools in your creative toolbox, and the confidence and inspiration to keep creating art on your own.
Music Major
Banjo, guitar, fiddle, and mandolin majors will work with their separate instructors as well as spending time making music together. Our instructors are professional musicians and educators from around the Southeast. Music majors will have fun listening to and learning old tunes and styles from before recorded music. This class will give students the tools to go home and continue their musical adventures after the workshop is over.
